parenting
General
Who am I?
I’m a woman who always expected, and wanted, to have a career, not stay at home with kids. I don’t like cooking. Housekeeping is not my forte. I prefer high heels to sneakers (OK, low heels – stilettos HURT!), and always have. I refused to wear pants until third grade and sweatpants until sometime […]
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Bonding
Featured
Relationships
Teens
Young Adults
Tips for Talking to Your Teen
Little kids want nothing more than to talk to mommy and daddy – sometimes a bit too much! But teens? We all know that changes in the teen years. You still see your baby even as they start driving, graduate, move out, and start their own life. Finding a balance between the baby you see […]
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Bonding
Family
Featured
Grandparents
My Dad
Relationships
Then and Now
33 Questions to Ask Your Dad
Two weeks ago, my dad was healthy. Old (in his 80s, he won’t argue that point), but healthy. Within 24 hours, he was hospitalized and although he is home now, they never figured out what went wrong and he’s still not well. It’s the sort of thing that really makes you realize all the questions you […]
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Featured
Camouflage, Cover, and Concealment: The Art of Staying Safe
This is from a book I am writing “26 Mental & Urban Life Skills” in my series “Survival Skills for All Ages.” Given the events in Las Vegas last night, I decided to share this information on camouflage, cover, and concealment. I pray that you and yours never need it. Escape and evasion is always […]
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Books
Featured
Little Kids
Preschool
10 GREAT Picture Books You’ve Never Heard Of
There are mountains, heaps, and masses of amazing picture books available today. No matter what your tyke is interested in or worried about, there is a picture book (or five) about it. Our personal collection of picture books included a larger-than-average number of books focused on art and artists. I am really at a loss to […]
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Featured
Mental Health
Social Issues
When Mental Illness Strikes Close to Home
When mental illness strikes close to home, it can be hard to know what to do. The first, and sometimes hardest, step is recognizing that it really is mental illness. When mental illness gets scary, it’s more than depression or anxiety. In the cases that impacted our family, it definitely involved delusions and paranoia. Thankfully, it […]
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Books
Featured
Finances
Short Reads
Then and Now
Then and Now: Used Bookstores
When was the last time you went to a used bookstore? My parents took me to them all the time when I was a kid because they “couldn’t afford to buy all my books new.” Their words, not mine. At some point, probably when I moved to a big city and wasn’t reading as much, […]
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Daughters
Featured
Fun and Games
Little Kids
Why Barbie Isn’t a Terrible Role Model
Barbie gets a bad rap from grown-ups because that don’t understand what little girls instinctively know: Barbie is a 3D paper doll, full stop. And that’s the crux of why Barbie isn’t a terrible role model: She isn’t a role model at all. I learned a lot from Barbie playing with Barbies, but none of […]
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Featured
Outdoors
Outdoors
Short Reads
Late Summer Gardening with Kids
As summer is drawing to a close, parents start to want to toss their kids out. Not to anywhere in particular, just away. Anything to stop the bickering, the fussing, and the “I’m bored” comments. It isn’t just you. At the same time, our bank accounts start screaming from the pain of vacations, camps, back […]
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Featured
Travel
Travel & Vacation
Staycation: Pro Level
Staycations (a vacation where your home is your home base, not a hotel) are a great way to save money and most of us have great touristy things near us that we’ve never done or visited. There are lists of which cities are “best” for staycations, but my personal opinion is that you can have […]
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